The Breath of Life

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living thing.
Genesis 2:7

The car came out of nowhere, slamming into the driver’s side door of her SUV. The side airbags deployed immediately, preventing her serious injury. But the man in the oncoming car had been ejected through his windshield, coming to rest on the hood of her car. Regaining her senses, she climbed over the console and exited the passenger side door, coming around the front of the car to check on the man. Holding her fingers to his neck, she discovered he had no pulse. Climbing up beside the man, she began first aid. Looking for blockage in his airway and finding none, she pinched his nose and began respirations, then pumped on the man’s chest. She continued CPR, and after five repetitions, the man responded, yet remained unconscious. He was transported to a nearby trauma unit where he eventually recovered from his injuries. The very person he hit had saved his life by providing the precious breath necessary to sustain his life.

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It has been said we breathe some of the very air Jesus himself breathed two thousand years ago. Science says that all oxygen is recycled, stating that .00037 percent of all air molecules have been co-breathed by everyone who has ever existed. Regardless of the validity of that statement, we have all been given the gift of life. When God “breathed into his nostrils,” He created life and an oxygen-rich environment capable of sustaining that life. We should never mistake the truth of the statement made in this passage. He didn’t just bring Adam to life; He created an atmosphere that would sustain us forever, giving us an opportunity to understand the awesome power of God.

Prayer

“Breath of Life, we thank You for life-giving oxygen. Without it, we could not survive. Help us to understand the power You possess and Your desire that we become vessels of that same power through the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we become fresh breath in a stagnant world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Proper Timing

Whoever obeys his commands will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
Ecclesiastes 8:5

He stood silently by and watched as I swung the sledge against the wedge, attempting to fell the tree. It was a big, old tree, seventy feet tall and spreading out some forty feet. It would make a lot of firewood. I began to hear a chuckle every now and again.
After ten minutes of pounding, I was tiring quickly and sweating profusely. I’d made no progress, and he was openly laughing. In my wounded pride, I said, “If you think you can do it better, have at it.” He stepped over, re-placed the wedge, and in three, well-timed swings, dropped the tree right were he wanted.
Exasperated, all I could do was shake my head, smile, and ask, “So what’s the secret?” My father-in-law winked, pointed at the sky, and said, “You have to look up when you’re wedging a tree. You wait until the tree sways against the wedge, then, as it begins to sway the other way, you drive the wedge deeper and wait, driving it deeper with each swing. It’s all in the timing. To get the timing right, you have to look up.”

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Often, we struggle against unseen pressures, forgoing the council of those wiser than ourselves. Instead of seeking their experience in regard to the pressure we’re facing, we forge ahead, making our own way. Our self-sufficient mind-set doesn’t leave much room for admitting we could benefit from someone else’s wisdom, and our efforts are diminished when we navigate life on our own. Like wedging a tree, we need wisdom concerning our actions in overcoming the pressures we face. God, if we will allow Him, can move people and sway things to work in our favor, moving them in such a way that it increases our strength, not deplete it. “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” That’s God, us, and others.

Prayer

“Lord, I tend to have tunnel vision at times. Please whisper for me to look up to You. Help me change from my self-sufficient ways in an effort to become God sufficient. I admit I cannot do this on my own. Amen.”

One Moment of Perfect Love

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 13:34

The rafters of the Van Hoosen Middle School Auditorium in Rochester Hills, Michigan, reverberated above the crowd’s cheers. The motivation for their excitement? Seventh grader Owen Groesser, team manager turned player, had come off the bench as a substitute.

Owen was beloved by his teammates and coach, and they celebrated Owen’s appearance on the court as much as anyone. The reason? Owen was born with Down Syndrome.

The game resumed and the building shook even more as Owen took a pass on Van Hoosen’s end of the court. Everyone watched, including the opposing team’s players, as Owen launched his first shot attempt in organized basketball. The ball banked off the backboard and swished through the net! The noise level escalated to a raucous timbre. Owen had just made a 3-pointer!

Ecstatic over Owen’s achievement, the crowd was showing their approval of his shot and Coach Jeff Howell’s decision to give Owen some playing time.

Not satisfied with his initial success however, Owen sank a second 3-pointer just minutes later! The reaction of the crowd was so great that Coach Howell played Owen the next night, where he sank two more 3-point baskets. At the end of the game the team rallied around Owen, hoisting him upon their shoulders in victory!

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In a time when there is an ever-increasing pressure to win it’s refreshing to hear a story of real sportsmanship emerge. There are few things in life that rival the fulfillment that emanates from the hearts of those who care enough to not only include Owen as one of the team, but herald his presence and triumphant accomplishments.

Only a heart that loves unselfishly would sacrifice the limelight so someone else might know the sensation.

This was a ‘team effort’ committed to bringing Owen a rare moment of joy he will remember for the rest of his life. It is one moment of perfect love. It is this love Jesus gives to us twenty-four seven, three sixty-five.

Prayer

“Lord, I thank You for fostering within me an unselfish love that has no agenda. May You find me anxious to help initiate and participate in these moments of perfect love. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Testimony of Love

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 12:18

Now in her nineties, Martha had taught Second Grade. “Emma was a beautiful little girl. But I could tell there was something wrong that day.” She shook her head sadly, remembering how her heart hurt for Emma.

“She just sat there, gazing longingly out the window at the other children as they laughed and played. I asked, ‘Why aren't you outside with the other kids?’ Her answer broke my heart. ‘They don’t want to play with me, Mrs. Stull. They think I stink.’

I sat her in my lap and hugged her tight. I remember telling her, 'You are beautiful and I love you.’ She looked up at me and smiled. The belt on her tattered and soiled dress was hanging loosely so I tied it in a knot and told her to tell the others it was a ‘love knot’ tied by Mrs. Stull. 

I always wondered what happened to Emma. Then one day, some thirty years later, a woman called my home and asked, ‘Are you the Mrs. Stull who taught at Elmwood Elementary School?’ I said I was, and she said, ‘Oh, I’m so glad I found you! I wanted to tell you how much it meant to me that you cared enough to put me in your lap and hug me that day! You saved my life! You didn't know it, but my brother was sexually molesting me at the time, and I felt so worthless… but you told me you loved me, and that gave me the strength to go on! I now speak world-wide, telling women my story, encouraging them, and assuring them that they are beautiful and worthy of God’s love!’

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We have the power to help heal wounds if we will only take the opportunity when it presents itself. That simple act of kindness can heal a hurting heart, and far outlive the healer’s lifetime. 

Emma was dealing with far more than any eight-year-old girl was ever meant to when Mrs. Stull saw a hurting child and acted in love. We can do the same when Holy Spirit shows us those who are hurting.

Prayer

“Lord, show me someone who is hurting today, and fill my mouth with words of wisdom, so they feel Your love. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

The In Between

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Ephesians 4:1

There were tears mixed with laughter at the dinner. There must have been three hundred people in attendance. All of them had come to share precious memories of the man they had laid to rest that morning.
He had not been a pillar of the community, nor was he well known outside this circle of friends. Yet his life had a profound effect on the people he touched.
A philanthropist of sorts, Byron had given over seventy percent of his meager earnings to others in need. He’d held on loosely to what he had; it was his way of giving to the Lord. He never made it public and would have denied any connection to the prosperity others enjoyed due to his generosity. He lived a simple life in a simple home.
His wife had preceded him in death. He’d kept her memory alive by spending time doing things they’d done together: walking in the morning dawn, watching the sunrise, or watching the eagles soar over the river bottoms, so majestic and awe inspiring. Simple. Yes, that was how he’d seen himself.
But these people knew him for who he really was. He’d shared selflessly with each one of them somewhere between the day of his birth and today. They each had a personal story of his eager generosity. And together they represented his in between.

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Gravestones are purchased to memorialize the life of loved ones. On them we place a date of birth and a date of death. But what happens between those two dates is how we will be remembered.
In verse four of today’s text, Paul spoke of “one hope”: the hope we have in Jesus through His Holy Spirit. It is His Spirit at work in us, the Spirit of God Who teaches us how to live. Our response to His urgings can make a difference in the lives of untold numbers of those in need if we respond accordingly.
How will we be remembered for our in between?

Prayer

“Spirit of God, lead me. Help me make a difference in the lives of those who need a special touch. And help me remain obscure whenever my pride screams for recognition. Help me be a vessel of hope. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Splendor of the Son*

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28–30

The rain sounded so relaxing with a cadence that lulled you into restful slumber. It fell all through the night. In the early morning hours, when the temperature was at its most frigid point, layer upon layer of ice formed, causing tree branches to bow down, almost touching the ground. As the sun rose over the horizon, the boughs glistened with dazzling beauty. And although the rays of sunshine continued to dance on the frozen limbs, the temperature remained at the freezing point.
Some branches that had been shielded from the full cascade of rain began to gently ease upward as droplets of water fell from their grasp. Some remained bent and looked as though they longed for relief.
Unfortunately, the early morning sun hadn’t reached many of the heavier, ice-laden branches, and they snapped, broken and lifeless—branches that had glistened in the splendor of the sun, branches that wished to grow, but could no longer bear the strain of the weight.

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What a tremendous waste that so many trees would be destroyed because they weren’t strong enough to bear the additional load. And so it is with us as the wounds and disappointments accumulate, causing unbearable strain because, due to embarrassment and pride, we cut ourselves off from the critical help we need. We pridefully believe that no one else could ever understand. And so the wounds continue to build, weighing heavily on us, our emotional and spiritual stability ready to break at any moment. If we refuse to share our pain, it will eventually consume us.
Jesus never meant for us to carry such burdens alone, and we should never allow them to cling to us until they gradually overwhelm us. Unlike the tree, we need not be broken. We can be wonderfully wholehearted, overcoming the seemingly insurmountable pressures of life if we turn to Jesus. Jesus wants to carry our burdens so that through His efforts we will reflect the splendor of the Son.

Prayer

“Jesus, thank you for giving me rest. Help me learn how to give you all my burdens, both great and small, so the things of this world don’t overtake me. Amen.”


*Written by Nancy Clouston

Praise and Cursing

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
James 3:10

Brian vigorously shook his hand, cursing, as if by doing so it would alleviate the pain in his thumb, the one he’d just smashed with that blasted hammer.
“Sorry, Lord,” he said sheepishly. “It just slipped.” Nowadays, he didn’t slip as often as he used to. Nevertheless, his vulgar language was something he needed to work on. He hadn’t realized how trashy his language had become until three years ago when his four-year-old son had sworn in public, using God’s name in vain, along with some other embarrassing language. Unfortunately, it had been said in front of Brian’s aunt who was visiting the family.
The epitome of a lady, his aunt had attempted to alleviate everyone’s embarrassment by saying, “Oh, the things kids learn in school these days.”
But Brian had to admit that Bruce had picked up the language at home. After all, he wasn’t even in school yet!

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Brian attended church on a regular basis, and he truly believed he was living a godly life. But when we use our own moral compass to guide ourselves, we will end up off course.
God knows our weaknesses and loves us in spite of them. We are to be the best representative of Christ we can. And that requires conscious effort.
James wrote much about our tongues and how they can create serious issues. Our words will either lead others toward Christ or away from Him. We need to be conscious of the way we speak and the words we use.
Swearing does not bring glory to God. Consistency is important, not only when in public, but especially when we are by ourselves. It requires spiritual discipline to be a good example. There are no occasions in which we are totally alone; God always hears what we say. Being consistent begins with being conscious of Whose we are.

Prayer

“Loving Father, I need Your strength. I try to deny that it’s a big deal when I swear. Help me understand the effect my words have on others. Show me the truth of my actions. Help me to be a better representation of Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”